New connector for Bandra-Worli Sealink from Bandstand

MUMBAI: Will a proposed new connector to the Bandra-Worli Sealink ease traffic chaos, or merely take it in a new direction? The state government believes a new connector will untangle some of the traffic snarls in this western suburb – but residents of Bandra Bandstand, and morning and evening walkers, who flock to the Bandstand promenade for its breezy calm, will have to brace for change.

The new connector, announced by chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Monday, will be a 1.26-km road connecting the Bandra Fort at Bandstand to the sealink. “People face massive traffic on the way from the sealink to Bandra (West). So, providing an additional connector to the sealink near the Bandra Fort will help smoothen the traffic,” said Fadnavis.

At present, traffic approaching from Worli enters Bandra either at Reclamation or via S V Road, causing gridlock, especially at peak hours. Creating a second entry point from the sealink to this western suburb would ease vehicular congestion at these points. The question is – what impact will it have on Bandstand, especially at the exit, a small area that accommodates Hotel Taj Land’s end, the site of another proposed luxury hotel, and the Bandra Fort, which attracts heavy footfalls.

The idea of a connector was proposed by BJP MLA Ashish Shelar in 2019, when he wrote to the government, saying such an arrangement would ease traffic congestion in Bandra (West). The proposal was recently revived, with Fadnavis giving it the green signal on Monday.

Officials said the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) has prepared a plan and the estimates for the new connector. The said the project would cost around ₹1,800 crore including ₹600 core for allied projects such as rehabilitation, compensation etc.

Anilkumar Gaikwad, managing director of MSRDC said the proposed new connector would help motorists going to and from South Mumbai as well as Versova, as the Bandra-Versova Sealink is currently being built. “It will be a four-lane connector, 1.26 km long. Once we get administrative approval for the project, it will take a year to complete processes such as securing clearances relating to environmental and costal regulation zone (CRZ) approvals, and tendering. The project itself should take two and half years to complete,” said Gaikwad.